I received
a call from Randy Ebersold, the DeKalb County, MO Emergency Management
Director today with a lightning success story that I thought
I'd share with you.

Yesterday
(Sunday 4/22), Randy called our office from a Girls Softball
Tournement in Basehor, KS, to inquire about thunderstorm arrival
times at the ball park and the lightning activity with the storms.
He didn't have a NWR with him, but knew our 800 number for emergency
managers. Based on our forecaster's comments, Randy watched the
sky to the south for the approaching storms, and told the umpire
about the storms.

When the first
distant rumble of thunder occurred, Randy went to the game official
and stated that he (the umpire) had a big decision to make. Randy
told the umpire that thunderstorms would be approaching quickly
with cloud-to-ground lightning, and that the game needed to be
called. The umpire agreed and the teams and their parents were
told to go to their cars.

Other teams
continued to play until several very close cloud-to-ground flashes
provided sufficient motivation for them to leave the field. Randy's
willingness to call the game in favor of safety is even more
impressive considering that this was a tournament championship
game, and his team was down by 3 runs with two innings to go,
a situation where many people people might have gambled for more
time to try to win a game that had national tourney-qualifying
implications. When I asked Randy if he took any heat for his
decision, he said "Better to be 3 runs down than 6 feet under." A
great quote!

Back in 1995, Steve Wannebo, then OIC of the International Falls
WSO, and I, WCM at WFO Duluth, gave a thunderstorm safety presentation
to 150 professional anglers competing in a fishing tournament sponsored
and run by In-Fisherman.

Due to our focus on the lightning dangers while out on the water
during a thunderstorm, the In-Fisherman tournament officials told
us they were going to review their tournament rules.

Sure enough, they did. A check of their website revealed an addition
in section VI, Safety: "In the event that lightning is visible,
pros MUST immediately cease fishing and move away from the lightning
toward a safe harbor or shore. When the lightning is no longer
visible, anglers may return to their fishing spots."

On March 7 of this year, 60 emergency managers, parks and recreation
managers, athletic coaches, umpires and college officials from
the Roanoke Valley attended "Lightning Safety at Sports and Recreation
Events." Out of this workshop a lightning safety policy was developed
for all city fields. For more information see http://www.vdem.state.va.us/01light/salem.htm

In July, 1999
I was driving to pick up my daughter from high school marching
band practice late in the afternoon. The location was Friendswood,
Texas, just outside of Houston. As I watched the lightning flash
all around, I thought to myself:

"There
is no way they will be practicing outside with this lightning
around."

To my surprise
and dismay, when I arrived at the school, the full 300 member
marching band was still practicing outside. The band director
was in his usual spot, perched in a tall wooden tower, barking
orders on his megaphone. As soon as I parked, the rain began.
The band broke ranks and ran indoors. I approached the band director
with the idea of explaining about lightning safety. Before I
could talk, he proudly showed me his hand-held "lightning detector." He
explained that he knew the band was "safe" outside since the
lightning flashes were beyond 6 miles, according to his detector.
I politely explained that lightning detectors weren't infallible.
I said if you can see lightning or hear thunder, you are at risk.

Then I did
some research on lightning safety policies and guidelines. Clear
Creek Independent School District (CCISD) had a lightning safety
regulation that specified only to use a hand-held lightning detector.
I put together a proposed new regulation for CCISD. I coordinated
with the NWS Houston/Galveston office on this proposal. The proposal
recommended adopting the Lightning
Safety Group guidelines from 1998, including using the 30-30
rule and having action plans for large and small groups.

This proposal
was sent in September, 1999. CCISD reviewed it, ran it by their
lawyers, and partially adopted the recommendation one
year later. CCISD'S new regulation listed the hand-held detector
as a primary tool, with the 30-30 rule as a secondary tool. I
immediately wrote a letter to CCISD requesting a reversal of
priorities. They declined.

However, progress
was made. The efforts have paid off. In October, 2000, my 10th
grade daughter reported the following:

"Last
week it was thundering and they made us (the marching band)
wait inside until 30 minutes after the thunder ended. Students
wanted to go back out, but the band directors kept us inside."

My advice on
working with school policy makers:

Do your
homework. Read and understand the LSG recommendations.

State your
case and make your recommendations clearly.

When possible
use examples of other school districts' policies as examples.

Be persistent.

Be more
persistent.

Expect delays
due to bureaucracy and legal reviews.

Be patient.

Be more
patient.

Use targets
of opportunity to personally inform coaches, band directors,
and even umpires about lightning safety.

Keep focused
on the fact that your efforts will save lives…maybe the life
of your own child!

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach held a
Lightning Safety Day on April 2nd, 2001. We had three separate
presentations on Lightning Safety, two that were focused on educating
the students, faculty and staff of our University about the risks
of lightning, both on the ground and in the air. Our third session
was held in the evening and was open to the general public. We
had a broad response from the general public, with people in attendance
who represented a variety of outdoor activities, including many
recreational activities such as boating, swimming, golfing, tennis,
biking and jogging. We also had a few representatives from commercial
outdoor activities, such as those who work on overhead power lines,
lighting towers, etc.

Overall we had more than 150 participants in our workshops. Considering
many students had come to a Lightning Safety presentation just
last fall, we were very happy with the turnout.

I know that our Campus Safety and Flight Operations departments
were very interested in the presentations and are reconsidering
their current operations procedures to maximize safety.

During a spring baseball game at The College of William and Mary
in Williamsburg, Virginia, there was some blue sky and sunlight
in the western sky. The baseball field faced west. The clearing
appeared about 20 or 25 minutes into the 30-minute clock that was
counting since the last lightning or thunder. People were clamoring
to get back onto the field. Then there was a very close strike
at about the 25 minute point, and everyone realized that it was
proper to wait out the 30 minutes! People failed to remember that
the storm moving off to the east was still in range.

We live in "Lightning Alley" for goodness sakes! Lightning is
the number one weather-related killer here in Central Florida.
Not to mention we're home to the most lightning-threatened activities,
beach, boating, golf...

As a Broadcast Meteorologist working in Central Florida I saw
a serious lack of respect for lightning. We were desperately in
need of lightning education. I encouraged the television station
I work for to sponsor a Lightning Laboratory to teach Lifesaving
Lessons to teachers, golfers, fishermen, weather watchers, emergency
officials, electrical workers, parents, children, coaches, etc.
With the help of some very dedicated local lightning experts we
hosted a group of 70 at our first Lightning Laboratory- Lifesaving
Lessons.

The local government channels for Seminole and Orange counties
recorded our entire event. Seminole Government TV even requested
special graphics from our speakers, and re-edited a wonderful lightning
education program that has re-aired a number of times over the
past year.

Matt Bragaw, Lightning Specialist at the NWS
Melbourne Office introduced us to lightning. He explained
how lightning forms in a way all of the audience could understand.

Bill Roeder, Lightning
Expert at Cape Canaveral/Kennedy
Space Center and member of the Lightning Safety Group dispelled
lightning myths. He taught people why a car may be a safer spot
during a thunderstorm, but a convertible provides no protection.
He introduced us to the 30-30 rule, and the warning signs that
lightning is about to strike.

Bill shared the fascinating side of lightning with Central Florida's
own "Lightning Stalker",
David O. Stillings, a well known lightning photographer, who choreographs
his awesome 'strike shots' to music.

In the most moving part, local lightning strike survivors shared
their stories. Anastasia was struck while setting her alarm clock.
Dave, while fishing. Bob while quickly trying to unplug his television.
Their stories alone sent our lightning message home.

What a success! Members of the audience kept our speakers and
survivors long after the event, asking question after question
and offering to help spread the lightning message. I hope some
of the lightning message has made it to your hometown.

Many of the
large professional weather organizations are recognizing the
importance of lightning safety. The National Weather Association
gave its 1999 Public Education Award for lightning safety efforts.
The American Meteorological Society gave a 2000 Special Award
for lightning safety education and lightning medicine research. The
Air Force and NASA are also promoting lightning safety with the
1999 and 2000 Air Force Space Command Safety Awards, the 1999
Air Force Chief of Safety Award -- the 2000 Air Force Chief of
Staff Safety Award and 2001 Kennedy Space Center Quality And
Safety Award are pending selection. Finally, the National Weather
Service is sponsoring the first-ever national lightning safety
awareness week, 18-22 Jun 01, which will become an annual event.

Lightning is the Number One weather killer in Florida and can
inflict lifelong, severe injuries on 10 times as many people as
it kills. These and other lightning facts were explored in the
Florida Tech Lightning Symposium 2001 on April 14, from 1 to 4
p.m.

The symposium, held in the university's F.W. Olin Engineering
Complex Auditorium, was free and open to the public. Over 75 interested
persons attended.

Brad Zavodsky, President of the Florida Tech Student Chapter of
the American Meteorological Society organized the symposium. Dr.
Andrew W. Revay, Jr., Florida Tech vice president for academic
affairs welcomed the audience. Janice Jones, chief meteorologist
at Fox 35 News, was emcee for the event. Speakers included Bob
Lay, director of Brevard County Emergency Management, on "Lightning
Emergencies"; David Sharp, science and operations officer, National
Weather Service (NWS) in Melbourne, on "The Operational Use of
Total Lightning Information at an NWS Office;" Matt Bragaw, forecaster
and lightning specialist, NWS in Melbourne, on "Lightning: What
it is and How it Works;" and William Roeder, chief staff meteorologist,
45th Weather Squadron at Patrick Air Force Base, on "Lightning
Safety". Refreshments were served during an intermission, and a
panel discussion and opportunity for questions followed the presentations.

John Williams, Florida Tech associate faculty member and co-author
of "Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms", and Dr. George A.
Maul, Professor and Department Head of the Department of Marine
and Environmental Systems, coordinated the symposium. More information
on the Florida Institute of Technology and the university's meteorology
program may be found at http:www.fit.edu/dmes.

The US Air
Force 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) is a key player in lightning
safety at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and NASA Kennedy Space
Center. Lightning is vitally important to the space program in
central Florida, 'Lightning Alley' of the U.S. The 45 WS has
developed several techniques and tools for forecasting onset
and cessation of lightning using our suite of the world's best
lightning detectors.

One of our
best tools is radar. We've developed several rules-of-thumb for
using radar reflectivity intensity, depth, and duration versus
key temperature levels to predict the start of In-Cloud and Cloud-Ground
lightning. The 45 WS then uses these forecasts to issue two tiers
of lightning advisories. A Phase-I advisory is issued when lightning
is expected within 5 nautical miles of 13 points of operational
interest with a desired lead-time of 30 min. A Phase-2 is issued
when lightning is imminent or occurring within 5 nautical miles.
This two tiered system works so well, the US Air Force adopted
it for use Air Force-wide in 1997.

The 45 WS also
conducts an intensive program of lightning safety education,
both for our Air Force and NASA customers, and for the public.
The 45 WS expertise in lightning systems, forecasting, and safety
is widely known. We frequently are asked to consult by government
and industry on these topics. The 45 WS lightning forecasting/safety
program is among the best on Earth!

Lightning is a significant danger to spaceflight
vehicles launched from Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station. Although people are probably most familiar
with the Space Shuttle, other rockets such as Atlas, Delta, and
Titan carry payloads vital to the Nation's defense and economy,
including NOAA's geostationary satellites. The Air Force is responsible
for forecasting lightning that might affect spaceflight launches
and ground operations, and they have the latest lighting detection
technology.

The NWS in Melbourne, Florida has collaborated
with NASA and the Air Force on lightning issues since 1989. The
same lightning detection and forecasting technology used for
spaceflight forecasting has been made available to NWS Melbourne
forecasters who are responsible for public forecasting and severe
weather warnings in east central Florida, including the Orlando
and Daytona Beach areas.

The goal of this collaboration has been to educate
the public and get as much real-time lightning hazard information
to our customers using “Total Lightning Information” in our products
and services. The threat is enhanced every summer when millions
of tourists, who are often unfamiliar with local climatology,
visit the Orlando attractions (right in the middle of “Lightning
Alley”). As part of the initiative, thunderstorms are called “Lightning
Storms” when they meet certain criteria, and “Excessive Lightning
Short Range Forecasts” are issued.

The collaboration has paid off both in technology
transfer to the public sector and in joint outreach activities
between the National Weather Service, the Air Force, and the
local Media.

I would like to introduce myself; my name is Rick Thompson, I
am the lightning protection coordinator for Orange County Public
Schools in Orlando, FL. Several years ago after becoming a lightning
victim, I decided to do something about the lightning threat to
our schools and students.

Thousands of people are moving to central Florida each year, not
aware that they are moving into the lightning capital of the United
States, were many people are struck by lightning every year. Due
to un-reporting of injuries, deaths and damages the lightning hazard
is extremely under estimated.

Our research and pilot studies in grounding, lightning protection
and surge suppression has established that power quality in structures
that were having massive equipment losses due to lightning can
be mitigated. Please keep in mind that every electrical device
that involves the human touch is a potential hazard in an electrical
storm; many people are injured or killed this way. Even though
our studies were implemented to mitigate lightning from entering
our structures our first objective is to improve lightning safety
by instructing our students and employees of the lightning hazard.

Our studies have revealed that electrical service ground rods
and lightning protection is typically inefficient in the state
of Florida due to sand being a non-conductive material and our
continuing diminishing water level is not helping either. Our pilot
studies and over 100 lightning safety awareness classes have been
very successful, although, it is an ongoing process. Over twenty
facilities that we improved in above mentioned areas show a significant
decline in damages. In fact, several cases saved us approximately
$100,000 per year. It just makes sence; reducing lightning surges
inside our schools will improve lightning safety to the “end user” of
electrical equipment.

During school hours we can have thousands of students and employees
in contact with computers, telephones and office equipment at any
given time. We have 145,737 students and approximately 20,000 employees
in our system. Therefore, it is essential that our students and
personnel are aware of how to react in lightning situations. Training
should include:

Lightning safety postersdistributed to all schools, facilities
maintenance, and transportation services, posted in heavy traffic
areas for all to view.

Lightning safety videos should be produced for all ages to
understand and must be a part of the scheduled educational curriculum.
Such videos should be mandatory viewing for the entire personal
staff.

Lightning safety and CPR certification courses should be mandatory
for coaches or other personal in charge of outdoor events.

All educational organizations should have a Certified Lightning
Safety Professional to implement and maintain a lightning safety
program.

Lightning safety has become my mission in life. I would like
to thank all my friends in the lightning safety group for their
involvement and dedication to present lightning safety awareness
to all.

I always wondered why someone didn't do something, and then I
realized I was someone!

On Friday, August 22, WCM Tom Matheson ran into the Mayor of
Wilmington, NC. Tom had tickets to the national championship soccer
match that was scheduled for the next day. The Wilmington Hammerheads
were playing. It prompted Tom to ask the Mayor if Legion Stadium
had a lightning evacuation plan. He told him that there was a good
chance of thunderstorms hitting the stadium. The Mayor said he
would call the Stadium Manager and make sure they were ready.

Sure enough, storms moved in on the stadium. About 3900 spectators
were herded into the rain and lightning protected corridors of
the stadium before the storms hit. Tom and his wife joined the
crowd. The soccer match began about an hour later.

Tom saw the Mayor again on the following Monday. He thanked Tom
and said that they had called the WFO on Saturday afternoon before
the storms hit. He was pleased that all went well and the Hammerheads
won.

If you have a lightning safety success story you'd like to share,
please email us